Dec. 7: A Ball of Wishes

A cafe owner was thinking about a way to give his customers the holiday spirit. He wanted full houses for the music-artists who performed each weekend, but he also wanted to make the season more than just about money.

As he unpacked his shop’s Christmas decorations, he had an idea. A clear ball ornament held the answer.

On the first Sunday of December, while a cello player performed, his wife distributed pens and strips of brightly colored construction paper. “Write down your wish for the holiday season,” he told the crowded room of patrons. Then she filled the clear ball ornament with the papers, each bearing someone’s secret wish. The ornament remained there for the season, a reminder of an afternoon filled with the joy and hope of the holidays.

Every heart holds a secret wish—and each day, the chance to help ourselves and others achieve a heart’s desire.

I lift up my eyes to the hills…My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1,2)